Beyond Anesthetic Properties: The Effects of Isoflurane on Brain Cell Death, Neurogenesis, and Long-Term Neurocognitive Function

• DOI: 10.1213/ane.0b013e3181af8015
• Publication Date: 2010-01-15T07:32:58Z
• Authors: Greg Stratmann; Jeffrey W. Sall; Laura D. V. May; Andreas W. Loepke; Michael T. Lee
• Keywords: Neurocognitive

Anesthetic drugs cause brain cell death and long-term neurocognitive dysfunction in neonatal rats. Recently, human data also suggest that anesthesia early life may cognitive impairment. The connection between decline is uncertain. It conceivable mechanisms other than contribute to outcome of anesthesia. In a series experiments, we demonstrate isoflurane exposure causes significant hypercarbia postnatal day 7 rats or carbon dioxide for 4 h provoked death. However, 1 was not sufficient Moreover, only exposure, but 2 dioxide, led impaired hippocampal function,questioning the association anesthesia-induced dysfunction. Neurogenesis both developing adult dentate gyrus important function, specifically learning memory. γ-Amino-butyric-acid regulates proliferation neuronal differentiation brain. Inhaled anesthetics are γ-amino-butyric-acid-ergic therefore affect neurogenesis, which could be an alternative mechanism mediating immature Understanding will help guide clinical trials aiming define scope problem humans lead preventive therapeutic strategies.